Have you ever wanted to begin a long-term project, such as managing your weight, writing a book, or using a financial budget? If “Yes”, I presume that you may need some help to take the next step, action. In this blog, I offer you a gentle push to get started.
In their book, A Guide to Rational Living, psychologists Albert Ellis and Richard Harper (1997) insist that overcoming the inertia to begin in a complex project is difficult. This is not permission to put off ‘til tomorrow…, but know: Easy this will not be.
One of my projects is to be physically fit. Even after many years of exercising in the morning I do not easily get out of bed after my alarm sounds. Sometimes, I lay in bed think of reasons I should not exercise that day. Or, I ponder an afternoon run. Alas, I know that mornings work best for me, so I (usually) eventually arise.
Procrastination won’t harm you, but it may affect you. According to Rozental, Forsell, Svensson, Anderson, and Calbring (2017) procrastination may “become a habitual behavior pattern that affects one’s performance in both school and work, resulting in decreased psychological and physical well-being” (p. 178). In other words, putting off may become a way of life. You must overcome the urge to take the path of least resistance. Doing builds achievement confidence–you can accomplish what you set out to do (Ellis & Harper, 1997).
You do not have to do what you planned, at all costs, but you have only two options: (1) start doing, or (2) start a different project. Just know that the higher the mountain that you choose to climb, the more challenges you will encounter. But, oh the joy of reaching the pinnacle!
With that little push, I hope you can begin your long-term project!
